Special friends

This past week I was incredibly blessed by a couple of friends. As I write this blog I’m in San Diego awaiting the early morning graduation of my niece, Marissa, who graduates from Jr. High. This last year she rocked the school with straight A’s. My brother and his son are in Costa Rica teaching an immersion language school through his university. So I knew that my Marissa would feel a little slighted with her dad and brother being gone. I waited until the last minute to tell my sister in-law about coming. So instead of 80 degrees temps in Phoenix I’m looking at overcast weather in the 60s as I blog.

We are doing a Job Life Skills Group for older teens at New City, which have at the least the potential of getting a job. The focus of the group is to have a passion for life that enables you to pursue your dreams to become the person God wants you to be. The challenge for many is not having the family resources to understand what it takes to step up to get an interview in order to get a job. So we have spent time talking about the how to’s of doing a resume. We have listened to the manager of my Starbucks talk about how to interview. We had one of our teens share about his experience with being interviewed – how scary! The main attraction, at least from my perspective, is to have different people share their life journey with the teens about first jobs, getting an education and the mechanics of getting that job you love and keeping it.

This last week I had a good friend share his life journey. Matt didn’t grow up in a Christian home and experienced his parent’s breakup as a pre-teen. His initial focus in life wasn’t great as he shared. He did drugs, extreme drugs searching for some type of inner meaning. As he shared his story I could see the eyes of my teens pop out. Here’s what would appear to be a ‘rich white’ guy that should have grown up in a great home with all of the extras. Yet, he grew up experiencing real brokenness from a very young age. His way of dealing with the hurt was to go off with his friends and party. As he talked about his drug use, something, which I could relate back to in the 60’s in my life, I saw a side of Matt that revealed his vulnerability and sense of hopelessness as a kid.

My teens, for once, asked questions about what it was like to do drugs and the obvious WHY question. His journey was one that saw him go to college as a person searching for real answers in life. His fascination with drugs didn’t change and he truly believed that his LSD trip would enlighten him much as the Beatles or some other 60’s group’s journey to India and using Psychotic drugs brought the mysteries of life to full illumination.

Matt’s search for understanding life and the truth brought him to numerous Philosophy Classes where he was exposed to critical thinking and the pursuit of the truth. Most don’t expect to find God in the classroom setting, yet this is what happened to Matt. As he read, dialogued with his teachers and fellow students, he came to see that life was more than getting high and that God did exist and love him. As the group finished at my Starbucks I was so thankful that my friend, Matt, was willing to open up his life and let my teens see the real Matt. Yeah, he talked about his family business that has been very successful. He talked about what it was like to be a salesman and the pressures that all will face in a good job.

We also attended a dinner for one of our teens graduating from High School on her way to the Naval Academy. This special friend doesn’t live in my neighborhood but has volunteered over the last three years to be part of our tutoring program. Her grandpa, a great friend, has enabled her to be part of our community. She is the superstar student who could have gotten a scholarship to go to Harvard or Yale but decided on the Navy. She is an awesome young lady who will rock the world with her passion to serve and help others. She will be sorely missed, especially by one of our elementary students she has loved on over the last 4 years.

My last quick snapshot is of one of our teens. She is the one who always stands above everyone else. Yeah, she is a very pretty and always has a smile that will get your attention. She is the one who is an incredible servant leader. I’m humbled to be part of her journey. She is someone who is on the lookout for avenues of service to help others. She has been going to a private school the last couple of years. The challenge is that the cost of this school is exorbitant and her single mom doesn’t have the means to pay. She had already made plans to go to a public high school instead of this school.  So on Thursday night’s game gathering she shared about having a lunch with a potential donor that supports the school. I will never forget the look on her face the following day as she shared that she would still be able to attend her school.  The new donor friend had decided to help her out!

Yes, I have some awesome friends, both young and old, who make my life exciting, adventurous and meaningful. I know that God’s gift of life is something that I ought not abuse or waste but as Jesus said, “Live life to the max!”